Stairway To Heaven
by Balthsbattlers
Summary: High School AU: 80's/90's themed, Scott is a damaged, music obsessed punk who is struggling with his past mistakes. How will he cope when he has the chance to fix things? Or maybe things wont end as well as he hoped...


_Umm hey :) _

_This is my first fic so yeah, please review and tell me what you think_

**_Disclaimer: I do not own this song or any of the characters._**

* * *

_The grass was soft under his bare feet as he ran after the ball that had been thrown at him by his best friend. The kick had been lined up perfectly, correct in line to make the perfect penalty shot between the trees but at the last second the kick had gone wrong and the ball had ended up halfway across the 'field' and gone into the bushes at the far end of the clearing. _

_"__You really need to work on your aim." One child yelled to the other once the ball had been retrieved from the bushes and lined back up again so the shot could be made again._

_"__Oh, I was only testing you, my friend." The other kid said with a cheeky grin as he ran up and took the shot again, kicking it hard. Too hard._

_The ball flew towards the 'goal keeper' so fast it didn't even give him a chance to duck the ball flying towards his face. He didn't realise he had actually been hit in the face until he felt the white hot pain coming from his nose and the ground coming up to meet him from where he had fallen backwards from the force of the impact._

_"__Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!" the face materialised in front of his eyes, looking fuzzy and blurred. "Are you alright?" the young voice asked him, helping his to sit up_

_"__Yeah, I hope."_

_The other boy looked at him with a look of hurt and pulled him to his feet. The boy slung his arm under the other boys shoulder and lifted most of his body weight onto his shoulders and started walking him towards the far side of the field where his house was. _

_"__It's not your fault, I'll be ok, I promise." The hurt boy said to his best friend who was almost carrying his small body weight. The other boy looked up into his bright brown eyes and gave a soft sigh. He could feel his chest tightening in pain as he felt his emotions trying to….._

Scott McCall sat up straight I his bed, covered in a cold sweat, breathing hard. The teen struggled to get his heart back to regular function of beating while he tried to clean his mind of the after memory of the nightmare. They were common lately.

Scott puller back his covered from his bed and walked on shaky legs over to his Led Zeppelin poster that was pinned to the wall opposite his door, removed the top corners pin and pulled the corner back to reveal the hole in the wall that he had covered with the poster, hiding it from sight. He almost reached inside to retrieve the note that had been stuffed inside, not nearly forgotten. Luckily he had stopped himself before he could pull it out. He sighed heavily and turned around to get ready for school that day.

The 80's was a time in which rockers and punks could be themselves in a world that was constantly changing. It was a period of independence and most of all, an era of music. Music stores were opening everywhere and vinyl was becoming more and more popular. One could walk down the street in a tartan sleeved leather jacket and not have to worry about if they were going to attract the 'wrong type of attention'. Mullets were fading out of the scene and Mohawks were slowly becoming more and more popular but both were still well dispersed.

But music was more important than anything else. Music had the power to bind generations without having to know anyone. Music brought people together at open mic nights, at small gungy bars and at festivals. Music made you feel something more than mediocre. It held possibilities of change and opportunity to make a difference in someone's life, even if you had never met them personally. But for some, music was a coping mechanism, or even just a friend. Music can help you through the dark, it can show you that you are not alone and it gives you something when you do feel alone, comfort.

Scott McCall looked up at the mirror above the basin in his bathroom. His brown eyes looked tired from his lack of sleep last night. He had stayed up all night worrying about going back to school. The first day was always the worst. You had to make a good impression on people otherwise you get noticed and annoyed for the rest of the school year.

'Keep your head down, music up loud and do your work.' That was the plan for the year. 'Don't fall in love, don't make an impression on new people, you don't need more people to bring attention to you.' This was what the teenager would tell himself every day when he got ready from the school day.

'Scott, come on man, you'll be ok. It's only another year of school' Isaac said from behind him.

Scott turned around to see the blonde teen leaning against the doorframe of his bathroom.

'That's easy for you to say, you have friends at school, I don't.' Scott argued back, knowing that it wasn't true. 'Ok, maybe I have a couple of friends, but is that really enough to get my through the school year unscathed?'

'Yes and I'll tell you why, it's because you have people that care about you, no matter what happens. And of course you have friends; you have me, Stiles, Allison, Lydia, Jackson, Danni and some of the others on the team. You have plenty of friends, you just don't see that because you don't take your headphones out for long enough to realise that we always try to talk to you but you always seem to ignore us or not listen.' Isaac said slowly walking back into Scott's room, looking over the posters that he had on his walls, and finally stopping in front of the shelves that held his enormous record collection and record player.

The blonde looked to the poster that was half unpinned and went to fix it back to the wall.

"Dude I know you miss him, but this has gone on for too long now. You are killing yourself. It's been 5 years man."

The blonde walked back over to the brown haired boys book case and reached up to his second shelf, pulling out his 'Never mind' record. He pulled the vinyl from the card board sleeve and placed onto the desk and stared to play the first song on the record, which just so happened to be come as you are.

It had always been the teen's favourite album by Nirvana and every time Scott would let him listen to a record, it just happened to always be that one, nothing else.

'Ok so maybe I need to socialise a bit more but seriously, music helps me through the day. It like, I read somewhere the other day a quote that I've decided will be my next tattoo. Well technically there is two but I'm gonna get them done at the same time. One was 'you can't touch music, but music can touch you' and the other was 'we learned more in a thirty minute than we ever did in school'. Pretty sweet aren't they.' Scott said beaming.

'Dude you are turning into an ink addict. How many do you have now? 4 I think?' Isaac commented.

'Nope, five as of last night,' Scott lifted up his Rolling stones t-shirt to reveal the surgical gauze covering the right side of his ribcage. 'It says 'multa temporalia, et memorian aeternam.' It means 'much is temporary, music is eternal.' What do you think?'

'I think that you are an idiot, and that you should start getting ready for school.' Isaac turned around and walked out of his bedroom door, not leaving any room for discussion.

Scott grumbles to himself, incoherently. He reached down and grabbed his studded, tartan lined leather jacket and slid his arm into the familiar garment, knowing that even when he was alone, maybe if he had this jacket, things would be ok for a short time, if any.

He grabbed is bag from off his unmade bed and slung it on his shoulder and grumbled his way out the door of his room too, knowing that nothing could prepare him for another year at school.

Scott looked up at the school from the seat of his dirt bike, not wanting to have to walk in there and spend the rest of the day wanting to murder someone. He unbuckled the chin strap of his helmet and pulled it off his head, forgoing putting off going to class. He then swung his leg over the seat of the bike and started walking towards the school. He reached into his satchel bag and pulled out his headphones and Walkman, which contained his Def Leppard tape.

He hadn't even had his headphones in for five seconds when he had his best friend yelling out his name. He turned around to see his socially retarded and idiotic best mate walking towards him.

'You ready for another year of hell?' Stiles asked as he slung his arm across Scott's shoulders.

'Is anyone ever ready?' Scott countered.

'Nope.' Stiles said nonchalantly as they walked up the stairs into the school, bracing themselves against the onslaught of students.

'Well, this shall be fun.' Scott muttered as he walked up to his locker from the previous year and started unloading his books into it. He left the books that he would need for his first two sessions and locked the metal door, hoping that this year won't be as bad as he thinks it will be.

He walked into his classroom and took a seat in the corner and propped his feet up on the chair next to him so that no one could sit next to him, even though he had 10 minutes till class started. He pulled his headphones and Walkman out again and started listening his way through his Led Zeppelin tape that he had in the bottom of his bag. The opening notes of stairway to heaven started to play through his headphones and he immediately started to relax.

_There's a lady who's sure all the glitter is gold and she's buying a stairway to heaven.  
When she gets there she knows if the stores are all closed, with a word she can get what she came for. Oooh and she's buying a stairway to heaven._

_There's a sign on the wall, but she wants to be sure because you know sometimes words have two meanings.  
In the dream by the brook, there's a song bird who sings, sometimes all of our thoughts are misleading. Oooooh it makes me wonder. _

_There's a feeling I get, when I look to the west and my spirit is crying for leaving.  
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees and the voices of those who are still looking.  
Ooooooh it makes me wonder. Oooooh really makes me wonder._

_And its whispered that's soon if we all call the tune, then the piper will lead us to reason.`  
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long and the forest will echo with laughter._

_If there's a bustle in your hedgerow don't be alarmed now, it's just a spring clean for the may queen. Yes there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run there's still time to change the road you're on. Makes me wonder._

_Your head is humming and it won't go, because you don't know, the pipers calling you to join him. Dear lady can you hear the wind blow and did you know, your stairway lies on the whispering wind?_

_And was we walk on down the road  
Our shadows taller than our soul  
There walks a lady that we all know  
Who shines white light and wants to show  
How everything still turns to gold  
And if you listen very hard  
The tunes will come to you at last  
When all are one and one is all  
To be a rock and not a roll_

_And she's buying a stairway to heaven._

That last line always seemed to make something come alive inside of him, make him get the shivers of make a dimmed flame inside of him burn just a little bit brighter, an ember of hope that sparked up that flame. It fuelled a burning in his heart that made him pine for the chance to see these masters of music live.

Scott felt a wave of goose bumps making their way up his arms, reaching the back of his neck which made his whole body shudder.

Scott looked up at the door and watched as a wave of students filed into the classroom and started to fill the rows of chairs in front of him, all chatting loudly about how 'awesome their holidays were'.

With his music as loud as it could possibly go, he closed his eyes and tuned out of the ten minute session in which the teacher handed out the new timetables. He looked down at his and smiled, realising that he didn't have class for the first two sessions. He stood up from his chair and slung his bag back onto his shoulder, not seeing the point of being in this class if he didn't have anything next anyway and gathered his Walkman and tapes and his timetable. He walked out of the classroom, not noticing the dark, familiar eyes that followed him as he walked by.

_Just a cast away island lost at sea oh, another lonely day, no one here but me oh.  
More loneliness than any man could bare, rescue me before I fall into despair._

_I'll send an SOS to the world, I'll send an SOS to the world,  
I hope that someone gets my, I hope that someone gets my message in a bottle._

Scott had always had an undying love for The Police, even if they were kind of outdated and a little weird for many others tastes but something about the way they had sung the lyrics and played the riffs had always intrigued the young musician. He could never fully grasp the ideas that the musicians of his ages had portrayed in their music and their talents in changing the views and lives of all those who took the time to actually listen to it.

The tape had been his fathers, past down from one musician to the other, not caring that his son could potentially trash it. The tape had been listened to many times and will forever be played for the kids of future generations of the McCall family.

Scott leaned down in his seat and grabbed his beat up Gibson acoustic guitar by the neck. Its old hollow body had scratches on the body, front and back, from years of playing and love. The old instrument had been his mother's when she could play.

The teen plucked at the strings gently, playing chords that spilled out his thoughts and emotions in ways that he couldn't express in words. He played for an unknown amount of time, feeling the peace that music had always seemed to bring out in him, a side that no one else would ever be able to see.

Something about the day felt wrong. Today was supposed to be the day that he would come back but so far, nothing. But yet, somehow things just felt off. Maybe it was just the start of a school year that had made him jumpy but there was something else in the air that made him feel like something wasn't safe. Like there was something about to happen but he just couldn't quite put his finger on the exact cause.

He could feel the cool breeze teasing at the airs on his arms and they student fought against his instincts to run and hide. He didn't care what happened; he would not give into a bad feeling. He had them all the time lately but today felt off.

His ribs had started to throb around half an hour ago, when he was riding to school, somehow subsiding to the back of his mind becoming a dull ache until he felt it flare up when he moved his arm to play the chords of the song he had decided to play.

This song had been sung to him by his mother every night before he went to sleep. It was his mother's favourite song and had always played as large part of his life.

As he played up and down the fret board, he started to quietly sing the words to the song.

"You've got a fast car, I want ticket to anywhere  
Maybe we can make a deal, maybe together we can get somewhere

_Scott felt the grass beside him rustle as his best friend lay down next to him on the field of grass that was somehow always empty. The field was surrounded by trees and flowers, it was truly beautiful, yet no one else knew about it. It was their little sanctuary. It was the place that they could run around and be themselves, to dream and escape from the outside world for the shortest time available for them to have by themselves._

Any place is better, started from zero got nothing to lose  
Maybe we'll make something, me myself I got nothing to prove

_There was something off about the boy next to him, but he couldn't pick what it was. He looked up to the darker skinned boy slightly above him and tried to figure out what was happening in his conflicted mind. The twelve year old above him took in a shaky breath before his started to convulse in sobs that racked his whole body. _

You got a fast car, I got a plan to get us outta here  
Been working at a convenience store, managed to save just a little bit of money  
Won't have to drive too far, just cross the border and into the city  
You and I can both get jobs, finally see what it means to be living

"_Whats wrong? What happened?" Scott asked as the tanned boy tried to calm himself down.  
__"__We are moving again." Scott looked up at him with scared eyes and drew in a shaky breath.  
__"__Why? Why now?" Scott asked, trying to keep his voice void of emotion.  
__"__I told my dad something and he said that he needs to get me help." The tanned boy looked up at the clouds above them.  
__"__Why do you need help? Are you sick or something?" scott asked in a small voice.  
__"__No, I told him I was in love with someone, someone I now know I could never be with, and e said we are leaving tomorrow, he said he can get me cured, that its not too late." His voice had turned into a small whisper now, not having the energy to ctually speak.  
__"__Who? You could have anyone you want, why couldn't you be together?" _

See my old man's got a problem, live with the bottle that's the way it is  
he says his body's too old for working, his body's too young to look like his  
My mamma went off and left him, she wanted more from life than he could give  
I said somebody's got to take care of him, so I quit school that's what I did

_The boy next to Scott stood up and turned to start walking away. Scott was up in a flash, running to catch the other boy. As he caught up he grabbed the other biys hand and spun him around to face him. He took in the puffiness and the redness of the other boys eyes, the tears that were starting to grow there. _

You got a fast car, is it fast enough so we can fly away?  
We gotta make a decision, leave tonight or live and die this way

_"__You wanna know scott, you wanna know who I fell for? It you, dumbass. Ive had the biggest crush on you for the whole time we have been best frends, but it doesn't matter anymore, because what I am is wrong and I am leaving. So come on, tell me I'm wrong, tell me that I am diseased and that you want me gone! I'm ready for whatever you say."_

So remember when we were driving. Driving in your car  
Speed so fast felt like I was drunk city lights lay before us  
and your arms felt nice wrapped around my shoulders  
And I had a feeling that I belonged  
I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

_Scott stared at him in shock and forgot how to breathe his breathe caught in his chest at the confession from his best friend and attempted to move him mouth to be able to reply to him, but no sound came out.  
__"__Huh I knew it." The tanned boy said with tears in his dark brown eyes._

You got a fast car, we go cruising, entertain ourselves  
You still don't got a job, I work in the market as a check out girl  
I know things will get better, you'll find and job and I'll get promoted  
We'll move out of the shelter, buy a bigger house and live in the suburbs.

_The dark brown eyed boy turned again and tried to start walking away, which turned into a run, leaving the younger boy trying to breathe. The panic was rising in his chest and he could feel his throat constricting. He tried to breathe deeper, knowing that if he didn't soon that he would black out and could possibly die if it got too bad. _

So remember when we were driving. Driving in your car  
Speed so fast felt like I was drunk city lights lay before us  
and your arms felt nice wrapped around my shoulders  
And I had a feeling that I belonged  
I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

_The younger boy felt in his pockets for his asthma inhaler but he couldn't find it. He could feel hi mind going black quickly as his knees gave out and he fell to the ground clutching his chest. He could remember hitting the ground but that's all he remembered._

You got a fast car, I got a job that pays all our bills  
You stay out drinking late at the bar, see more of your friends than you do of your kids  
I'd always hoped for better, thought maybe together you and me find it  
I got no plan I ain't going nowhere, so take your fast car and keep on driving

_When he finally regained consciousness, he found himself curled up in a tight ball clutching a note to his chest. It was raining heavily and his small body was completely soaked to the bone. The preteen could feel the tears falling down his face and the pieces of his heart falling apart as he tried to comprehend the fact that his best friend was gone and was never coming back._

So remember when we were driving. Driving in your car  
Speed so fast felt like I was drunk city lights lay before us  
and your arms felt nice wrapped around my shoulders  
And I had a feeling that I belonged  
I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

_He lay here for a very long time, holding the letter to his chest, sobbing into the grass, knowing that he had just lost the one person that he had ever cared for like that. He knew that he would get sick if he didn't move but he couldn't bring himself to cared anymore, not having him in his life was something he could learn to accept, but living without him would be worse than dying. _

You got a fast car, is it fast enough so you can fly away?  
You gotta make a decision, leave tonight or live and die this way."

Scott could feel the tears rolling down his face but there was nothing that could be done for the pain and hurt that he had caused himself. If only he had gathered the confidence to grab his hand and tell the other boy that he felt the same… If only he had of called out and made the other preteen know that he wanted him too… If only things had turned out differently… If only…


End file.
